Ball actuated toy



y 3, 1958 P. ZOBRIST 2,834,151

BALL ACTUATED TOY Filed April 2, 1957 1 N VEN TOR.

pdllzajzzlsi ATTORNEYS BALL ACTUATED TOY .Paul Zobrist, Charlotte, N. C.

Application April 2, 1957, Serial No. 650,135

2 Claims. (Cl. 4642) to repfesent birds, animals or the like, and wherein when a ball or pellet is placed in the upper end of the housing,

the fanciful body members or figures will be caused to move in a highly pleasing manner as the ball travels downwardly in the housing.

A further object of the invention is to provide a ball actuated toy which is extremely simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, and in which like numerals are used to designate like parts throughout the same.

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the toy of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral designates the horizontally disposed base which is provided with a recess 11 therein for receiving a ball 12.

Mounted on the base 10 and extending upwardly therefrom is a hollow housing which is indicated generally by the numeral 13, and the housing 13 includes vertically disposed spaced parallel side walls 14, and vertically disposed spaced parallel rear and front walls 15 and 16.

The lower end of the front wall 16 is provided with a slot 17 whereby the ball 12 can pass therethrough into the recess 11 in the base 10. The upper end of the front Wall 16 is provided with a circular opening 18 whereby the ball 12 can be inserted into the device.

Mounted on the upper end of the housing 13 is a top plate 19, and a pair of body members or figures 20 are pivotally connected to the top plate 19. Thus, the figures 20 may represent fanciful creatures such as birds or animals or the like, and each of the figures or body members 20 includes a lower portion 21 which extends through a slot 22 in the top plate 19, and the body members 20 are pivotally supported on pivot pins 23.

The numeral 24 indicates a support member which can be made of any suitable material such as wire, and the support member 24 includes the intermediate coil portion 25 which is secured to the plate 19 through the medium of a securing element such as a bolt or screw 26. The support member 24 further includes oppositely extending "ice arms 27 which have portions 28 arrangedinengagement with fingers 29 that extend from the bodymembers'2'0.

The arms 27 of the support member 24 are also connected to lugs 30 which extend upwardly from a pair of spaced parallel vertically shiftable bars or slides31. The movable bars 31 each have a plurality of inwardly extending shelves 32 extendingtherefrom, andthe shelves 32 are inclined slightly so as to permit the ball -12 to move alternately downward in the housing 13 asshown in Figure 2.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that there .has been provided a toy or amusement device which is constructed so that when a ball such as the ball -12is manually inserted in the opening 18 in the top of the housing 13, the pair of body members 20 will be actuated aud'thereby provide amusement and recreation to the users or onlookers.

In use, as the ball 12 is placed in the opening 18 and then upon the release'of the ball, it will be seen that the ball 12 will engage the shelves 32 to thereby alternate and move from one shelf to the next shelf due to the fact that the shelves 32 are inclined slightly. As the ball l2 moves-downwardly, the pair of bars 31 will be moved vertically in the housing 1'3 andwhen'the ball 12 reaches the-bottom of the housing 13 it will pass out through the slot 17 and be received in the recess 11 in the base 10. With the ball 12 in the recess 11, it will be seen that the ball 12 can be picked up and again placed in the opening 18 so that the device can be used over and over again. As the pair of bars 31 move vertically up and down in the housing 13 due to the downwardly moving ball 12, it will be seen that this will cause rocking motion of the support member 24 so that the arms 27 will move up and down. As the arms 27 move up and down, due to the engagement of the lugs 30 with the arms 27, it will be seen that the fingers 29 will be moved along with the arms 27 since the fingers 29 engage the portion 28 on the ends of the arms 27. As the fingers 29 are moved, the pair of body members 20 will be pivoted on the pins 23 so that the body members 20 can be made to resemble birds picking at food or other movement of animals, birds or the like. As shown in Figure 2, the body members 20 are shaped to resemble ducks, but it is to be understood that these body members can have any desired fanciful configuration or shape.

Thus, it will be seen that there has been provided a mechanical toy which includes the ball 12 that can be made of metal or glass, and this ball causes actuation of the members 20. Toy birds 20 are pivotally connected to the top plate 19, and these toy birds are actuated as the ball 12 moves downwardly. Thus, as the ball 12 moves downwardly in the housing, the two birds 20 will start picking alternately and these two birds will move about ten or twelve times until the ball passes through the slot 17 into the recess 11 whereby the ball can be readily picked up and reinserted in the opening 18.

The support member 24 constitutes a balance which can be made of wire, and as previously described the slides or bars31 are provided with the slanting chutes or shelves 32 which are all of the same length. When the ball is inserted in the opening 18, it will move one of the slides or bars 31 downward and at the same time it will pull the corresponding bird or member 20 into picking position whereby the balance or support member 24 transmits the motion to the other bar 31 and to the other member 20 and vice versa. Then, the ball rolls off of the shelf and drops onto the opposite shelf so that this cycle is repeated whereby the birds or members 20 will be kept in constant motion until the ball hits the last shelf and rolls out of the housing into the recess 11.

The above description of the invention is for illustrative tending upwardly from said base and including vertically filsgoiefi S aced axal\e\ 516e, wa\\s,' and werticany disposed spaced parallel front and rear walls, there being a slot in the lower portion of said front wall adjacent the recess in said base, there being an opening in the upper end of the front wall, for receiving a ball, a horizontally disposed plate mounted on the upper end of said housing, a pair of spaced apart body members pivotally connected to said plate, a pair of spaced parallel verticallyshiftable bars movably mounted in said housing, a plurality of inclined shelves extending inwardly from each of said bars, a support member including an intermediate coil portion pivotally secured to said plate and oppositely extending arms extending from said coil portion, said arms being loosely connected to the upper ends of said bars, and fingers extending from said body members and loosely connected to said arms, whereby by inserting the ball in the opening in the upper end of the housing, the ball will selectively engage the shelves to move the bars and body members.

2. A toy comprising a horizontally disposed base provided with a ball receiving recess therein, a housing extending upwardly from said base and including vertically disposed spaced parallel side walls, and vertically disposed spaced parallel front and rear walls, there being a slot in the lower portion of said front wall adjacent the recess in said base, there being an opening in the upper end of the front wall, for receiving a ball, a horizontally disposed plate mounted on the upper end of said housing, a pair of spaced apart body members pivotal1y eommegea to said plate, a pair of spaced parallel vertically shiftable bars movably mounted in said housing, a plurality of inclined shelves extending inwardly from each of said bars, a support member including an intermediate coil portion pivotally secured to said plate and oppositely extending arms extending from said coil portion, said arms being loosely connected to the upper ends of said bars, and fingers extending from said body members and loosely connected to said arms, whereby by inserting the ball in the opening in the upper end of the housing, the ball will selectively engage the shelves to move the bars and body rnembers, said body members having a fanciful configuration.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 878,810 Letzkus Feb. 11, 1908 1,454,313 Clarke May 8, 1923 1,534,888 Baker Apr. 21, 1925 1,828,244 David Oct. 20, 1931 

